England recovered from a two-goal deficit to force a penalty shootout and beat Sweden after a staggering set of spot kicks as they scraped into the Euros semi-finals on Thursday night.
The match was an instant classic. England trailed by two at half-time and heading for the exit, but battled back into the tie with two quickfire goals from Lucy Bronze and Michelle Agyemang in the last 11 minutes to force extra-time.
A bonkers penalty shootout followed a goalless extra half-hour – with just five of 14 spot-kicks converted.
Bronze came up the hero again, smashing her sudden-death effort into the roof of the net before Smilla Holmberg lofted her decider into no-man’s land to send the Lionesses through.
The shootout had shredded the nerves. With England going first in front of their own fans, Alessia Russo had coolly dispatched a unsavable kick inside the post, but England then handed the initiative to Sweden with Lauren James, Beth Mead and Alex Greenwood each having their attempts saved.
Thank heavens for Chloe Kelly, who dispatched a quality kick high into the net at No5 to keep England in it, and the Swedish keeper blazed her chance to settle the tie high over the bar to take the shootout to sudden death.
Grace Clinton saw her tame effort kept out, but then Hannah Hampton saved to keep England in it and Bronze blazed home.
It was enough to keep England’s title defence alive, but they will have to be much better if they are to go all the way.
England’s first-half frailties were laid bare from the start as they floundered under an intense Swedish press, and Jess Carter emerged as an immediate weak link.
With less than two minutes on the clock, she misplaced a short pass under pressure to Keira Walsh, allowing Kosovare Asllani to sweep in behind and finish coolly past Hampton.
It could have been two shortly after as another sloppy pass out from the back set Stina Blackstenius up with a shot, but Leah Williamson recovered well to track back and cover it off.
But England were barely keeping their heads above water, and Sweden soon doubled their lead. Lauren Hemp was dispossessed high up the pitch, and England’s high line was undone by one well-placed pass beyond Carter, who had no chance of keeping up with the onrushing Blackstenius, who would not make the same mistake twice as she shot under Hampton from a tight angle.
The Lionesses grew into the tie as the half wore on, but created no credible goal threat. They could not cope with the Swedish press and lacked the creativity to break down their compact back line.
Even as England accelerated, Sweden still had the better of the later chances as Fridolina Rolfo forced a wonderful save from Hampton in injury time.
Come half-time, all the focus was on Sarina Wiegman. Could the England boss come up with the solution to rescue England’s title defence?
Whatever was said in the dressing room had an effect. The Lionesses took to the field with more vigour as they pushed to get on the board.
Hemp was presented a gilt-edge chance early in the second half as the winger looked to head home from James’ inch-perfect cross but missed wide.
But then, in the blink of an eye, the tie was flipped on its head - and it all hinged on Kelly’s introduction.
Seconds after entering the fray she dished an inch-perfect inswinging cross to the back post for Bronze to head home and halve the deficit.
Barely a minute later, she did the same again, this time crossing to the centre of the area. It was knocked down to fellow substitute Agyemang, who kept her cool and fired home to equalise with ten minutes remaining.
A flurry of chances followed as the match wound down in frenetic fashion. A hero block from Smilla Holmberg denied Russo a likely winner, before two injury-time corners went begging for England.
Extra time was required – in which Williamson went off with an ankle injury and Bronze continued after heavily taping her own thigh – then the shootout chaos arrived.
